You can’t fix a broken system by dumping more money into it. The Clark County School District just proved that once again.
Last Friday, the district quietly put out some unexpected news. Enrollment continued its precipitous fall. In August 2025, the district had more than 281,000 students on campuses. This August, that number was fewer than 271,000. Officials had anticipated an enrollment decline, but this was sharper than expected.
Fewer students mean the district won’t receive as much per-pupil funding. As a result, the district now needs to cut its budget by around $51 million. Individual schools will need to reduce their budgets by around $29 million. The district is also cutting its central office budget.
One reason for falling enrollment is falling birth rates. Over the next few years, this national trend will continue to hit schools, as graduating classes are larger than incoming kindergarten classes. But even the many district officials who struggle to acknowledge basic biology realize there are other factors at work. In its fact sheet on the situation, the district also blamed “competition.”
But what district officials view as a bad thing is great news for Nevada families. They no longer simply have to accept their zoned school. They are taking advantage of education alternatives, most notably charter schools. Last year, more than 70,000 students attended charter schools under the State Public Charter School Authority. In October 2016, less than 31,000 Nevada students attended SPCSA charter schools. At the time, Nevada school districts did sponsor some charter schools, but the rapid growth of charters remains obvious.
Those charters face the same demographic challenges as the district, yet they are growing. District officials should acknowledge the obvious: Enrollment is down because its product is inferior even with the financial playing field tilted in its favor.
This problem won’t be solved by making excuses about funding. Just three years ago, Gov. Joe Lombardo approved a massive increase in per-pupil spending. As a result of Nevada’s collective bargaining laws, the vast majority of that money was directed toward paying the same people more to do the same thing at the same place. Those hefty pay hikes haven’t done much to boost student achievement, but they did leave the district financially vulnerable. It should be obvious that money won’t solve the district’s structural problems.
To her credit, Superintendent Jhone Ebert has yet to stoke panic about this shortfall, even as some teacher layoffs look likely.
That’s a hopeful sign. The district needs Ms. Ebert to chart a new course, not repeat the same demands for more money that created the district’s current budget hole.
